I just need you now
by FantasyDreamer06
Summary: Just a short little fic about what could have happened after Sarah left the Labyrinth...four years later, her life in shambles, she calls on the one person that can save her.
1. Need you now prologue

This is my first fanfic in several years...be kind to me! But I hope you like it. I'm making this short and sweet since it's just a warm up to get me going again...

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything regarding Labyrinth by Jim Henson productions, or Lady Antebellum's song Need You Now, which inspired this story to be written.

Prologue: Need you now...

There were drawings all over her floor- Hoggle, Sir Didymus, Ludo...

Jareth.

_Picture perfect memories scattered all around the floor...._

God she missed her friends in the Labyrinth. The days had blurred together, running together until her world was just one long smudge of colors blended together to something drab. Day had turned into months, months into years....her world had never been colored right since leaving the Labyrinth. Four long years....

_Reaching for the phone cuz I can't fight it anymore..._

_And I wonder if I ever crossed your mind..._

The Goblin King...

_For me it happens all the time...._

Tears flowed down her cheeks. Her life had become nothing. Her parents had been killed in a car accident, leaving her with Toby. She had no boyfriend to call on, no friends to come to her aid....She'd dropped out of college to care for her brother. Communication to her friends in the Underground had long since ceased, probably because of Jareth....that beautiful, frustrating bastard. She glanced at her clock.

_It's a quarter after one, I'm all alone and I need you now  
Said I wouldn't call but I lost all control and I need you now  
And I don't know how I can do without_

She'd hate herself for this in the morning....

_  
...I just need you now...._

…**.I Wish...**

.


	2. I'm here

Chapter Two: I'm back.

_Another shot of whiskey can't stop staring at the door..._

_Wishing you'd come sweeping in the way you did before..._

_And I wonder If I Ever cross your mind..._

_For me it happens all the time..._

She'd haunted him for the years after she left. Sarah had quite literally swept in and destroyed everything he thought he knew about life. About love. He'd thought she'd forgotten him. Sighing, he flung his arm over his eyes as he lounged on the throne, a bottle dangling from his fingers.

_It's a quarter after one, I'm a little drunk and I need you now.._

With a sardonic smirk of his lips he muttered to the empty room "I wish..." Those words had changed his life.

He was in his owl form before the summons ever left her lips. He was at her window as the words fell.

_  
Said I wouldn't call but I lost all control and I need you now  
And I don't know how I can do without  
I just need you now_

Seeing the white owl outside of her window brought mixed emotions. Fear, pain....pleasure?

Guess I'd rather hurt than feel nothin at all....

Smoothly Jareth came into her room and stared at her. Neither of them spoke. His lips turned upwards into a twisted grin.

It's a quarter after one I'm all alone and I need you now

And I said I wouldn't call but I'm a little drunk and I need you now....

Sarah didn't know how to react to the sudden flood of emotions, but all at once seeing him made everything come crashing down on her. Losing her link to the Labyrinth. Her parents dying- finding herself the sudden, inexplicable replacement parent for Toby. Losing her dreams. Tears slipped down her face in the silence that stretched between them. Without a word, Jareth brushed them away with his gloved fingertips.

And I don't know how I can do without....

Wordlessly Sarah suddenly threw her arms around him and held him for all she was worth. He represented everything she had lost. Her dreams.

I just need you now

I just need you now

Ooo, baby, I need you now

In the next instant, she was in his castle.

Sarah woke up, instantly regretting her summons. "I have to get back to Toby...he's got no one but me."

Quickly she surveyed her surroundings- she was in a room with a large canopy bed and a bathroom connecting it. The room was decorated in various and beautiful hues of green. Even as she thought of Toby...she also thought about how nice it was to be back. Being surrounded by this magic just felt so right, even if it did mean she had to put up with Jareth. But he did wipe away her tears....

And bring her back.

Maybe, just maybe, they could start anew...

But first, Toby.

Sarah slipped out from between the emerald satin sheets and let her bare feet hit the cold stone floor, effectively waking her up. Her nightgown whispered around her ankles as she stood up and stretched. Despite wanting to get back to Toby as quick as possible, she felt a strange reluctance. She was no longer the child she once had been, and her fear and understanding of the Goblin King had changed over time. She couldn't deny the magnetic pull she had felt as soon as she had seen him again; the woman in Sarah was not so naïve as to ignore suck a compelling emotion. The sinfully beautiful face framed by his wild hair was exactly as she had remembered; although now, she had paid more notice to other things about him- the lean, masculine torso, long, sculpted legs, and what was in between...

Suddenly, there was a knock at her door, interrupting her strain of thoughts before it got too much further. Blushing at her own thoughts, she called to whoever was on the other side of the door. "Come in!".

And just like that, there he was, as if he'd heard her thoughts. Looking at her with that irritating, superior tilting of his head, one eyebrow raised sardonically at her. The door whooshed shut behind him. Sarah knew in that instant she was going to be in trouble.

He was devastatingly handsome.

Infuriatingly superior.

Utterly irresistible.

Today he was wearing a flowing white shirt, covered by a black vest with soft grey pants. Black boots clicked against the floor as he came to stand before her in all of his glory. Sarah fought the urge to stare at him, all of him, including certain areas best left unmentioned. The smell of him, standing so close to her- Jareth smelled musky and wild. Unbidden, the thought that he smelled exactly like you would imagine having sex in the woods would smell- seductive, forbidden- untamed.

He spoke first. "Now Sarah, how do you enjoy being back in my castle?"

Sarah swallowed, still trying to ignore the effect he was having on her senses. "My room is quite comfortable, thank you. I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but I do have to get back."

His dry tone managed to spark her ire. "Once again I've given you what you wanted and I don't even get so much as a thank you? Still ungrateful then, I see."

Oddly, she did feel bad. He'd given her a wonderful room and taken her when she was in such a dark mood. "I need to get back to my brother. It isn't that I don't appreciate what you've done, but I'm all Toby's got."

One eyebrow went up imperiously. "Oh really?" A snap of his fingers showed Toby playing with a cluster of goblins in the throne room, looking completely happy as he chased the ugly little creatures around, sending chickens flying. Sarah looked into the Crystal in disbelief. "He's here too? But I just wished myself away!"

Jareth simply smiled. "Beware Sarah. My power is great; you're baby brother is safe, as your wish was granted."

Sarah looked at him, suddenly remembering what she said. Her wish. _"I wish that Toby was safe, and that I could return the Goblin Kingdom, just for a while, just to get away...."_ She hadn't realized he would actually answer. Damn, he'd gotten her between a rock and a hard place. She no longer had any reason to want to go home.

His voice echoed her thoughts. "So precious, do you still want to go home?"

The words choked her. She had no answer. There was her five year old brother, happily playing with the goblins and chasing them without a care in the world. But He needed a normal life, a shot at something she would never have; didn't he?

"Sarah, my offer still stands. Stay here. Love me, obey me, and I will be your slave."

Her eyes closed. She could hear Toby laughing from the Crystal he held. Would it be so bad for them to live here, in the Underground? And yet, what was the cost? What did Jareth get? What would her sacrifice be?

"What do you gain?"

His lips twisted. How could she know that all he wanted was to give everything to her? He gave half the truth: "You."

"What do I lose?"

Why much she lose anything? She would have everything she ever wanted. Why did she always expect the worst from him? He'd only ever given her what she wanted. But if she again wanted him to be the villain, then so be it. "Everything. You will belong to me." He smiled. He supposed Possessing her would be terribly fun. But that wasn't what he truly wanted. He could she she was different; there was something wrong with her...her spirit seemed broken. She seemed not to know of the magic that had seeped into her. It was as if the fire in her had gone out, except when she had gotten angry...it had returned. He needed her to be her old self....it would be his mission to bring it back. How could she know that all he wanted was for her to be happy, forever, with him?

"I will think of your offer, Goblin King. But give me time."

Jareth crossed his arms. He couldn't stop the sadness that curled within him, but he didn't allow it to show. Of course he'd been hoping that she'd know what she wanted....stupid of him to think she would tho. He cocked an eyebrow again. "I will give you thirteen hours, as I did before. Thirteen hours to decide your fate."

She sat down on the edge of the bed, gripping the mattress tightly. She didn't understand. Always with him before he had made her a bargain, twisted things to his way. Why was he not twisting the situation to his advantage once more? But, perhaps he'd been like this before; she had just been too much of a child to see it before.

While she pondered his offer, he took the opportunity to study her. Her features were stronger now than they had been while she was still a adolescent; her long hair spilled around her chaotically, creating a dark halo around her slender shape. She had grown into such a beautiful woman...he doubted she could know how her physical appearance affected him, although if he remained in the room much longer there would be little doubt in her mind; he could smell her as well- her untouched, sweet, sweet fragrance that was laced with just a bit of...what was it...? Could it be excitement?

Suddenly she stood and approached him, staring him in his eyes. Now that, he remembered well. Those green eyes snapping at him. "I. Need. Time. I will not be given a limit! I am no longer the frightened girl I once was. I am a woman who has endured hardships unnumbered in my absence from here, and I have grown. You will meet me on my terms before I will meet you on yours. We may be in your realm, Goblin King, but I will not let you have power over me!"

He shrunk back even as he was filled with pleasure. So she was not a broken spirit, after all. Just a weary one. Perhaps a different tactic would keep her with him. "As you wish." And with a flourish, he left, hiding a smile and formulating a plan.

Sarah, breathless, stared around her in wonder. Again she had challenged him, again it appeared she had won. Her brother was safe, in the throne room from the looks of it, playing with Goblins. It was hard to think of a good reason to leave the underground now. Her job aboveground wasn't anything spectacular, her family was gone...

Why did she want to leave?

Could Toby be happy here? Was a "normal" human life even possible for him? For them?

_It's only forever..._

_Not long at all...._

Could she stay here forever? With the man that haunted her dreams....?

Chapter four:

Jareth smiled with genuine pleasure. The boy tilted his head and looked at him, familiarity sparking in his blue eyes.

"You're the Goblin King, right?"

Jareth's lips twitched into an even wider smile. "So your sister has made mention of me, has she?"

Toby crossed his arms. "She's told me lots of stories- you're supposed to be mean".

His smile flickered. So she'd always made him out to be the villain, had she? Had she learned nothing? Had she still not seen how he had given her everything she wanted? "Really now? What would you say about that, Toby?"

Toby looked thoughtful, then bluntly stated: "I like it here. I don't think your evil. I wanna stay."

Jareth schooled his features carefully, suppressing his delight. It would be all to easy to convince Sarah to stay if her brother refused to go.

Sarah. Oh how he had wanted revenge on her. But time had passed.

Now he wanted her as his queen. The secret to winning the Labyrinth had never been finding the right path or making friends...no, it was never truly that simple. It was really about winning the favor of the Goblin King, finding out if your will was truly as strong as his.

The Goblin King had loved once before- a beautiful Fey woman named Mizumi. They had loved and their magic had danced in perfect synchrony. But then Jareth had seen the deception that she had created, the lies she would soon tell; the sweet words that fell like poisoned honey from her sweet lips. Jareth had built the Labyrinth to keep everyone out; including her. Only his true love could win the Labyrinth. Only the one destined to be his queen...forever.

Oh yes he'd been angry when she'd defeated him....but it was an anger born of knowing his love had not been enough to keep her with him. He'd loved her before she'd defeated his Labyrinth...but conquering the Labyrinth showed him that she was the one. The only one. The only one to defeat the labyrinth of his heart. With her flashing green eyes and her belief in the impossible; her stubbornness and kindness- her defiance...

Gods, he loved her. No one else would do. He was not as cruel as she thought he was. So lost in thought, he was startled when Toby boldly poked his stomach. "Hey, mister Goblin King...I'm hungry."

Jareth had to stop himself from laughing.

"Well, let me show you the kitchens" he said, while leading Toby away.

Green seemed to be the color of the day. Slipping out of her "aboveground" clothes, she donned a simple, deep velvet green gown. It was a simple sheath; comfortable, more than anything. She wasn't aware of the way the simple dress drew attention to the slimness of her waist, as it fell from her hips to brush the floor.


	3. Finished business

Thank you for adding my story to your favorites and reviewing! You have no idea how good that feels! I haven't written in so long and it feels amazing to know that people still like my work!

This is my final chapter, unfortunately. I have considered a sequel, but it depends on what kind of suggestions I get for a sequel, since i'm not sure where I would take it after this.

Again, thank you so much. I appreciate it totally!

Chapter Three: Finished business

Jareth...

_I just need you now._

She went to find her little brother.

_You remind me of the babe...._

Jareth was all to pleased to have "little Jareth" back in his kingdom. The child was absolute delight to watch as he chased goblins about. The mischief the little chap caused made him think of himself at that age, at least from what his parents had told him.

Suddenly his spine stiffened. Sarah was near. He was painfully aware of her presence in a way he had never been aware of anyone else before. Slowly he turned his head just enough so that he could watch her entrance.

Gods she took his breath away. It was clear she was no longer the budding adolescent she had once been. No, she was much more beautiful. The dress she wore was so simple, and yet so elegant as it hugged her slender, curved body. Dark hair spilled loosely, curving around her delicate, yet strong face to emphasize her large, entrancing, hypnotic eyes. She looked nervous. When her eyes landed on Toby, playing with the goblins safely, laughing happily, she relaxed. Scanning the room again, those green orbs rested on him, and a tumult of emotions flashed across her face. Anticipation, longing, fear...

hope.

She called out to Toby first. "Toby!"

The little boy stopped and pouted. "Sarah! You're interrupting the game!" The goblins snickered.

She stooped to talk to him. "Don't you want to go home soon?"

He crossed his arms. "No. I wanna stay here with my new friends and the King. I like him Sarah. He's not as mean as you said he was." Sarah froze.

"I'll have a talk with him, Okay buddy?" she said as she glanced over at Jareth, who was smiling from a chair while pretending to focus on his gloves.

"Okay, can I go back to playing now?"

She kissed his forehead affectionately. "Yes you can, sweetie. Go on and have fun."

"K, bye!" he shouted as he scurried off towards the goblins.

Sarah turned her attention to the King, lounging in his chair, where he had been diligently avoiding looking at her.

Rising, he strode towards her before his body could give away his reaction to her beauty. "Walk with me, Sarah. In the Gardens."

She took a deep breath, then smiled. "Certainly, Goblin King." With one last glance at Toby to make sure he was indeed safe, she followed Jareth outside.

"Where are the Gardens?" she asked, at first only seeing the Goblin City.

"This way" he said, gently guiding her by taking hold of her elbow. An electric thrill jolted up her spine, and his hand felt the heat of her skin. Again, he schooled his features, but not before noticing the sudden, imperceptible shift in Sarah to his touch. A small smile worked its way to his lips. So perhaps, he was no longer the villain in her stories after all.

Soon, they were standing outside of a beautiful green hedge maze; the bushes covered in delicate, beautiful purple blossoms. Sarah couldn't help but lean in to smell the beautiful flowers. They were exquisite.

"What kind of flower is this?" she asked.

Jareth shrugged. "I don't know. I created them without naming them."

Startled, she looked at him. "You made this?" she said, gently touching one of the beautiful buds.

He looked away, before saying " I have a weakness for beautiful things", then looking at her pointedly.

She blushed, then changed the subject. "What else is in this garden of yours?"

With a pointy smile, he again placed a gentle hand on her elbow and began to show her the other beautiful things in his garden.

He opted not to tell her which things had been created while he thought of her; like the beautiful scarlet hibiscus with the innocent white center. Or the emerald green-tipped white roses that matched her eyes, and held cruel thorns. There were the blue bells that weeped; he'd made those right after she'd rejected his offer.

Then there was the fountain portraying a venus-esque woman, holding a crystal close to her heart with both hands as she gazed into the sunset, a wreath of flowers in her hair, while water poured from the crystals to drip down her hands to the basin like tears. Sarah marveled at her beauty, not realizing that the statue was Jareth's image of her.

Sarah found herself suddenly and unexpectedly relaxed with him. Here, she was free from responsibilities. She could relax and let her personality shine through, and here, with the Goblin King, she felt safe.

Finally they sat beneath a cherry tree covered in ripe, sweet black cherries. With a flick of his wrist, a branch descended to Jareth, and he plucked a handful of the berries before releasing the branch. Wordlessly he held them out to Sarah, who took them gratefully while he eased himself to the ground. Sarah followed suit while popping a cherry into her mouth hungrily.

Jareth watched her savor the sweetness of it with interest. What he wouldn't give to savor her in the same manner that she savored that small fruit! He closed his eyes and leaned his head against the tree. After all this time, this little, small slip of a woman could turn him upside down. Imagine!

"Jareth?" she said timidly.

"Hm?" he said, not bothering to look at her or move his head from it's position on the tree. However he jumped in shock when he felt her soft lips brush his cheek, and he instinctively snapped his head to look at her deeply blushing face.

"You've been too kind to me today. I just wanted you to know that it means a lot to me". The look in her eyes told him there was more that she wanted to say, more feelings she wanted to express but wouldn't.

He smiled and reached out to touch her face. Unexpectedly she leaned into his touch, and he was delighted. Slowly he brushed thumb over her lips, watching her eyes flutter shut.

Suddenly, he wanted nothing more than to kiss her, and he hadn't the slightest clue as to what was stopping him from doing so. Gently, he pressed his lips to hers, softer than a whisper. Electricity shot up her spine at the feather-light touch, and she pressed her lips more firmly to him, one hand twining into his blonde hair. "_oh my..." _was the only coherent thought Sarah could conjure as she found herself lost to the sensations she experienced. Her body quivered weakly, and she clung to him. The pounding of her heart was a roar in her ears, and fire lit every inch of her being, leaving her shivering in delight.

For his part, Jareth held her close, feeling her quivering beneath his tender onslaught. Oh he'd never known that this could be so sweet. The taste of her was honey to his starving soul; and a flood of warmth unleashed itself from his heart, consuming him until his world narrowed and only one thing was left for him to find: Sarah. There was nothing but her. The feel of her was stronger than any opiate or heroin; and he wanted her with a painfulness that shredded him, mind and soul.

Finally they broke apart, both gasping as their emotions raged while they still held each other.

Jareth was the first to break the silence. "Sarah" he gasped, "Just let me be your slave, and I will give up my kingdom and let you be its queen, so that I could serve you for forever."

She smiled at him gently, still holding him. "Oh Jareth," she whispered softly, "I don't want to rule you; I want to love you". As she spoke the words, a tremor hit her as how true they really were fully registered in her mind. She just wanted to love him.

"Be my Queen Sarah. Toby would be my heir; the heir to the most prosperous kingdom of them all. He would want for nothing, and be free to travel Aboveground as he pleased- even attend school if you so desire for him to do so."

How could she refuse? Fiercely she kissed him, and against his lips she murmured: "you best mean what you say to me Goblin King, or I will regret saying yes to you for eternity".

Jareth swooped her up into his arms and carried her to his Castle, to announce their betrothal to the entire kingdom.

Forever had only just begun.


End file.
